California Defense Startups Develop Rapid-Build Drone in Record Time

Divergent Technologies and Mach Industries unveiled the first flight of their autonomous strike aircraft, Venom, in just 71 days. The prototype features a fully digital design and additive manufacturing process, reducing part count and eliminating traditional tooling. According to AeroTime, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was present at the announcement, indicating visibility at senior levels inside the Department of Defense. Mach Industries led system architecture and integration, while Divergent Technologies designed and 3-D printed the aircraft’s structure using its Divergent Adaptive Production System.